Source Credibility: How to Select the Best Sources

Source Credibility: How To Select The Best Sources

Finding sources for research is important, but using unreliable sources will hurt your credibility and make your arguments seem less powerful. It is important to be able to identify which sources are credible. This ability requires an understanding of depth, objectivity, currency, authority, and purpose.

Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors. An article that has been peer-reviewed is credible, but it still might not be completely relevant to your assignment.

Depth What is the depth of coverage of the information? A source What is Peer Review? that is completely reliable may still only give a light overview Peer review is a well-accepted indicator that a of the important information. In many cases, you will need source is scholarly and reliable. Before to have more than a simple overview of information in order publication, peer-reviewed journals require that to connect the data to your topic. papers be reviewed by experts in the same field. After reading and reviewing the material for Objectivity accuracy and objectivity, the reviewers will Is the information you are using biased in any way? If so, recommend publication, revision, or rejection. does the bias affect the conclusions of the research? Does A peer-reviewed article is often called a the information come from a source that will profit from a “refereed” article. particular point of view? If so, the information may not be reliable. Does the source use proper citation? To determine whether a given article is from a peer-reviewed source, try searching Ulrich’s Currency directory of periodicals. It contains many, but not all, peer-reviewed journals. If unsuccessful, find How up-to-date is the information? When was it written? the website of the journal itself and look for its Many assignments, especially in the sciences, require author, submission, and/or editorial guidelines. research from the past five or ten years.

Authority Who is the author? Does the author have a degree in the field? Is the author affiliated with an unbiased reputable organization? Note that scholarly articles tend to have multiple authors.

Purpose What is the purpose of the source? Is it to entertain, to change public opinion, to present research, or to teach? Who is the intended audience? Reliable research articles are usually very specific in nature and relate to a very specific field.

These five areas give you a way to reduce a large body of sources into the specific information that you need to include. This process will enhance the credibility of your writing and lead you to more accurate conclusions.

Cayla Buttram, David MacMillan III, & Leigh Thompson Updated November 2012 UNA Center for Writing Excellence